Hamas denies Iranian official in Gaza

The Hamas-led government in Gaza has come out against reports that an Iranian official entered the Strip Tuesday. Hassan Abu Hashish, Chairman of the Palestinian Government Media office, strongly rejected the allegation. Abu Hashish said that the story was based on rumors and accused the media of shoddy reporting. The denial follows a Palestinian news agency's report that Rooh Allah, who is closely connected to Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, crossed into Gaza Tuesday night. The report further claimed that the official was carrying a false passport, which Abu Hashish rejected as a "lie". The reason for the alleged visit remains unknown.